An Overview of Empirical Research on Domain-Specific Grit in L2 Learning Contexts

Abstract

The recent emergence of Positive Psychology within the field of second language (L2) acquisition has sparked scholarly interest in examining L2 learners' psychological factors, including their achievement emotions and personality traits, that can significantly influence the language learning process. In particular, L2 grit, a positive personality trait central to the learning process, has received considerable attention. In this context, this study seeks to present an up-to-date overview of the empirical studies addressing L2 grit indexed in the Web of Science database. During the course of the study, comprehensive analyses were conducted on the overall trend of this field, the research subjects, research methods, and key research themes prevalent in empirical studies related to L2 grit, with the goal of identifying trends and existing knowledge gaps within the field. This study has yielded several significant findings. First and foremost, it is anticipated that the realm of L2 grit will undergo an upward trajectory. Additionally, the results indicated a notable diversity in study subjects, given their academic status and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, it is also discerned that quantitative research methodologies were predominantly employed in this area of inquiry. Furthermore, the principal themes examined in the reviewed studies encompass scale development and validation, the impact of L2 grit on academic performance, the dynamic change of L2 grit over time, and the interplay between L2 grit and learner-internal and learner-external factors. This review article culminates in a critical discussion of the constraints of existing studies and finally suggests potential avenues for future research.